FY2026 EPS Estimates for UNH Increased by Erste Group Bank

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Research analysts at Erste Group Bank increased their FY2026 earnings estimates for UnitedHealth Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, July 15th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings of $18.33 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $18.30. Erste Group Bank currently has a “Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group’s current full-year earnings is $19.75 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group’s FY2027 earnings at $20.87 EPS.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on UNH. Robert W. Baird upgraded UnitedHealth Group from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $287.00 to $453.00 in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. HC Wainwright set a $492.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $447.29.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 0.7%

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $426.39 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $387.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $404.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $342.28. UnitedHealth Group has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $461.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. The company had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.08 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 70.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth beat Q2 estimates on earnings and revenue, driven by improved margins and lower medical costs, and raised its 2026 profit outlook. UnitedHealth shares surge on strong earnings beat and guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, UBS, RBC, and other firms lifted price targets after the results, signaling stronger Street confidence in the stock’s recovery. Analyst price target updates
• Positive Sentiment: Management doubled the 2026 share repurchase target to at least $5 billion, which may help support EPS and investor returns. What’s Fueling UNH Stock’s Rally? A Bigger Buyback, Higher Guidance – And CEO Says Turnaround Is ‘Returning To Form’
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary around the earnings call says Medicare Advantage and Optum are improving, but commercial cost pressures could delay a full margin recovery. UnitedHealth Q2 Earnings Call Focuses on Reset and Durable Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious, with at least one downgrade noting that the turnaround still faces execution risk despite the stronger quarter. UnitedHealth Group Q2: The Real Test Begins Now (Downgrade)

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Inc is a diversified health care company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that operates two primary business platforms: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. Founded in 1977, the company provides a broad range of health benefits and health care services to individuals, employers, governmental entities and other organizations. Its operations span commercial employer-sponsored plans, individual and Medicare and Medicaid programs, and services for customers and health systems in the United States and selected international markets.

UnitedHealthcare is the company’s benefits business, administering health plans and networks, managing provider relationships, and offering coverage products for employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs.